Little Lucharitos to open in Aquebogue on Friday

Bring on the tacos, Lucharitos is officially opening its new Aquebogue location on Friday.

The offshoot of the super popular Greenport taqueria makes its new 16-seat home on Main Road. Like its sister location, Little Lucharitos features vividly colored walls hung with framed photos of costumed wrestlers throughout.

“It’s really bright and vibrant,” said Lucharitos owner Marc LaMaina. “We really want people, when they come in, to feel like they’re on vacation. They’re out of the cubicle, they’re out of the office.”

The new space is just 800-square-feet, which LaMaina said is the same size of the Greenport Lucharitos’ original storefront before he doubled the size in 2015.

“We’re kinda used to dealing with small spaces,” he said. “Our chef is amazing with what he can put out in a 300-square-foot kitchen.”

There you’ll find a slightly different menu with favorites like pulled pork nachos and beer battered shrimp tacos, as well as newcomers like Crescent Farm duck tacos, a traditional carnitas pork taco and lobster guacamole.

Inside Little Lucharitos in Aquebogue. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

The festive furniture was designed by the staff at Jamesport’s In The Attic Too. The restaurant also features a six-seat bar serving up margaritas, sangria and more. But it likely won’t be a go-to for after hours partying — it only stays open as late as 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

LaMaina opened Lucharitos in late 2012 after Hurricane Sandy dealt a heavy blow to the eatery he used to operate out of the same space — Butta Cakes, a cupcake shop. Since then, it has quickly blossomed into a popular destination, requiring an expansion.

LaMaina, who grew up in Greenport and whose father Larry ran Diggins Deli there for 17 years, said he is looking forward to becoming more entrenched in the Aquebogue community, where he now lives with his family.

“I will always be a Greenporter at heart,” he said. “But my kids will be going to the Riverhead school district, so I’ll be bleeding purple and gold [Greenport colors] and blue and white [Riverhead colors].”